WhatMatters

Stanford scientists have recently confirmed California’s first known infection of a highly transmissible COVID-19 variant, known as NB.1.8.1. Detected in the state as early as April 17, its symptoms do not appear to be any more severe than earlier strains so far, and because NB.1.8.1 is an Omicron variant, the latest vaccines should provide some […]

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in 2022, California lawmakers moved quickly to make the state a “safe haven” for reproductive health care. But while California has some of the strongest laws ensuring abortion rights, other states’ restrictions can make performing or seeking the procedure from California doctors more complicated. On Tuesday […]

State legislators on Friday halted hundreds of bills with new spending attached from advancing. Why? The Legislature again underwent its relatively opaque process known as the “suspense file.” Hanging over lawmakers’ heads is the expected $12 billion state budget deficit that is projected to worsen due to federal tariffs and increased state health care spending. […]

Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Memorial Day off and will return to your inboxes on Tuesday. California officials moved quickly to start another legal battle against President Donald Trump’s administration after the U.S. Senate voted Thursday to revoke federal waivers that allowed the state to phase-out gas powered cars and combat air pollution. Gov. Gavin […]

California’s ambitions to phase out gas-powered cars and curb air pollution will likely hit a major roadblock today. CalMatters’ climate reporter Alejandro Lazo reports that the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote this morning on halting California’s electric vehicle mandate, following approval by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month. If the Senate revokes […]

State legislators are clashing with Gov. Gavin Newsom and his call to speed up a $20 billion state water project.  During the unveiling of his updated state budget plan last week, Newsom called for legislation that would accelerate the Delta Conveyance Project, which aims to reroute more water from Northern California southward. That water would […]

Amid pledges from Democratic legislative leaders to make California more affordable, there is persistent evidence that the state’s high cost of living won’t get better anytime soon.  The latest comes from California’s housing department, which recently released its annual report detailing how much households can earn in each of California’s 58 counties to be eligible […]

When Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out his revised state budget proposal last week, he emphasized how President Donald Trump and his administration made forecasting California’s economic future even harder. To see that chaotic uncertainty in action, all one needs to look at is the daily investment returns posted by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. […]

From CalMatters politics reporter Yue Stella Yu:  In the state Legislature, an open rebellion sometimes does wonders.  Two weeks ago, Assemblymember Maggy Krell, a first-year Sacramento Democrat, publicly defied Democratic leaders in attempting to pass harsher penalties for soliciting sex from 16- and 17-year-olds. Joined by some moderate Democrats and Republicans, the fight laid bare […]

When Gov. Gavin Newsom released his preliminary $322 billion state budget plan in January, he projected a “modest surplus.” But many things have changed since then: A general economic slowdown in the U.S. economy; an estimated decline in income tax revenue due to the stock market fallout from President Donald Trump’s tariffs; and an unprecedented […]